Earlier this month, we featured the second phase of this project attaching a modern building to an iconic Victorian landmark. Monday 14 September marks the grand opening of the new Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum in London, with the participation of Prince William and Sir David Attenborough. From Tuesday 15 September, the centre will be open for the public.

The Natural History Museum is both one of the UK's top five visitor attractions, and a world-leading science research centre. The architecture of both phases of the Darwin Centre are designed to reflect this dual role, and, through innovative and ambitious design, reveal to the public for the first time the incredible range and diversity of the Museum's collections and the cutting-edge scientific research they support.

Neil Greenwood, the Natural History Museum's Programme Director for the Darwin Centre, explains, 'Many people love the Natural History Museum for its iconic Victorian Waterhouse building. However, through the Darwin Centre, we wanted to challenge this traditional perception and highlight the work of our scientists and the importance of our collections. The Darwin Centre is set to be a truly inspirational addition to the Natural History Museum when it opens to the public on 15 September 2009.'